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Airfare to Florence

Updated · BootsnAll

For a lot of people, Florence is the whole point of an Italy trip, and it makes a good base for the rest of Tuscany too. So it surprises people that Florence's own airport is small, handles only short-haul jets, and isn't even the busiest airport in the region. That title goes to Pisa.

That doesn't make Florence a bad airport to fly into. It's the closest to the city by a mile, and the tram drops you by the main station. You just need to know what it can and can't do before you book.

Florence Airport in brief

Florence Airport (FLR) goes by a few names: Amerigo Vespucci, Peretola, or just Florence Airport. It sits on the northwest edge of the city, less than 3 miles from the center.

The thing to know is the runway. It's about 1,560 meters long, squeezed between Monte Morello and the A11 motorway, and it only takes planes up to the size of an Airbus A320neo. That has three consequences for you:

  • No long-haul flights. Nothing flies nonstop to Florence from North America, Asia or Australia. You connect somewhere in Europe.
  • Diversions happen. Scheduled flights can only land in one direction, so a strong tailwind or thick fog (most common from November to January) sends flights to another airport, usually Pisa or Bologna, with a bus to Florence afterwards. It's not an everyday event, but if you have a tight connection or a big event the same night, build in slack.
  • Small planes, small terminal. Boarding is mostly by bus to the aircraft, and bag allowances on the regional jets can be tighter than on the long-haul leg.

A longer runway has been planned for years. Until it's built, the list above stands.

Who flies to Florence

Florence is fed mainly by the big European hubs, which is exactly what a traveler from outside Europe needs. In 2026 you can connect through:

  • Paris (Air France), Amsterdam (KLM), Frankfurt and Munich (Air Dolomiti, for Lufthansa), Vienna (Austrian), London Heathrow and London City (British Airways), Madrid (Iberia), Lisbon (TAP) and Rome (ITA Airways)
  • Barcelona, Paris Orly, London Gatwick and more on Vueling, which has a base here
  • Catania, Palermo, Cagliari, Prague, Nantes and others on Volotea
  • Seasonal flights from Brussels, Helsinki, Dusseldorf and a few more

If you're flying from the US or Canada, the neatest option is usually one ticket on an alliance: fly to Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt or Munich and pick up the short hop to Florence on the same booking. Your bag is checked through, and if the connection breaks, the airline has to rebook you. Building your own connection onto a separate low-cost ticket saves money only until something runs late.

Getting from the airport into Florence

  • T2 tram. This is the one to take. The tram stop is at the terminal and the line ends at Piazza dell'Unità Italiana, next to Santa Maria Novella station and a short walk from the Duomo. It uses the normal Florence urban ticket, about €2 in 2026 for 90 minutes, or €3 if you buy from a driver on the buses. Current fares are on the Autolinee Toscane site, and the airport has a tram page of its own.
  • Airport bus. Autolinee Toscane also runs a bus to Santa Maria Novella station every half hour. Handy when the tram isn't running.
  • Taxi. There's a rank outside arrivals. It's a short ride, and worth it if your hotel is across the river in Oltrarno or you have a lot of luggage.
  • Rental car. Only if you're heading straight out into the countryside. Central Florence is a camera-enforced ZTL (limited traffic zone), and driving into it by mistake costs €83 to €332 per camera in 2026, plus the rental company's fee for passing on your details. Read up on driving in Italy first.

Florence, Pisa or Bologna?

Before you pay extra for a ticket into Florence, price two other airports. Both are an easy train ride from Florence.

  • Pisa (PSA) is Tuscany's main airport and has far more low-cost flights, including big Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air networks and British Airways from Heathrow. The PisaMover shuttle (about €6.50 in 2026) runs to Pisa Centrale in a few minutes, and from there regional trains run to Florence. Caronna's airport coach goes straight to Florence in about an hour. See airfare to Pisa.
  • Bologna (BLQ) is in Emilia-Romagna, not Tuscany, but it's a bigger airport with more connections. The Marconi Express monorail takes about 7 minutes to Bologna Centrale, and high-speed trains to Florence take well under an hour.
  • Rome Fiumicino (FCO) is the answer if you want a nonstop from North America. Take the Leonardo Express to Termini, then a Frecciarossa or Italo train to Florence (the fastest take about 1 hour 25 minutes).

Which would I pick? If Florence is your first stop and the fare difference is small, fly into Florence and be at your hotel half an hour after landing. If you're flying in from North America, fly nonstop to Rome and take the train. And if you're coming from elsewhere in Europe, Pisa usually has the cheapest fare.

How to find cheap airfare to Florence

  • Don't expect Florence to be the cheapest ticket. The best long-haul fares into Italy are nearly always to Rome or Milan. Price Florence against Rome plus the train, and remember the train ticket is cheap if you book ahead.
  • Fly open jaw. Fly into Florence and home from Rome, Venice or Milan (or the other way round) so you never have to backtrack. It often costs about the same as a round trip. If your trip covers several countries, AirTreks builds multi-stop tickets like this.
  • Avoid the peak. Tuscany's high season runs roughly from May to September, and Easter is busy too. November to March is cheapest, apart from the Christmas holidays.
  • Check the low-cost carriers on short hops. If you're already in Europe, Vueling and Volotea are the main budget airlines at Florence. Check the bag fees before you compare fares. Our guide to budget airlines that fly to Tuscany has more.

More for your Florence trip:

photo by liquene